title: Mycophenolate mofetil: a promising new immunosuppressant that does not cause bone loss in the rat.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Posttransplantation bone disease is a well-described phenomenon; among its etiology is immunosuppressant-induced bone disease. Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) has emerged as a promising new immunosuppressant. Our study was designed to investigate the effect of MMF on in vivo bone mineral metabolism.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four 6-month-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into two groups to receive either MMF vehicle daily for 28 days or 30 mg/kg MMF daily for 28 days. The serum was assayed for osteocalcin and 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3. Subsequent to double-labeling, the right tibiae were removed on day 28 for histomorphometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MMF suppressed bone gla protein (osteocalcin) levels on days 14 and 28 (P < 0.05). Except for percentage osteoid perimeter, there was no difference in bone histomorphometry between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this relatively short-term study, MMF did not cause osteopenia in the rat model, but the suppressed bone gla protein merits further study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19141, USA.
authors.forename: I R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Dissanayake
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Goodman
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Bowman
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pun
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Jee
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Epstein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects*; D001847:Bone Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014180:Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid